It looks like the inflammatory protests the Westboro Baptist Church is known for carrying out against gays may have actually helped the LGBT cause.

According to the Advocate, The Trevor Project, a gay rights organization focused on anti-bullying and suicide prevention, has blown right past its fundraising goal thanks to the media attention created by the extremist church.

The Westboro Baptist church promised to demonstrate at Vassar College on Feb. 28, the day when the The Trevor Project’s "It Gets Better" tour is scheduled to be at the New York university.

The tour is a traveling musical adaptation of the "It Gets Better" project that shows up at schools and different communities throughout the country carrying a message of tolerance and diversity.

In response to the church’s announcement, the LGBT organization decided to create a fundraising event with the goal of raising $4,500, or "$100 per minute that the WBC is planning to protest for," as stated in the organization’s Crowdrise event page.

It turns out the online counter-protest-as-fundraiser has blown through its $4,500 goal by 1890 percent, reaching over $85,000 in donations as of publication time.

Comments

Anonymous, 2013-02-28 11:02:03

Just FYI, the Trevor Project didn’t start the Crowdrise fundraising page. It was started by a Vassar alum in response to the announcement that WBC would be protesting at Vassar. The Trevor Project was chosen to be the recipient because of all the great work they do on behalf of LGBTQ youth.

Anonymous, 2013-02-28 15:12:14

Someone should start a protest-Westboro baptist church tourism company where every day we can protest the hateful church. We can have signs that say ’God hates Wetboro baptists’ and ’thank God for Cancer’

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